Refrigerating apparatus



a. J. GEBSON ET m. 21,15,718

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Dec 16/1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented May 16, 1939 REFRIGERATIN G APPARATUS Charles J. Gibson; Greenville, and Jens Touborg,

Tecumseh, Mich., assignors to Gibson Electric Refrigerator Corporation, Greenville, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application December 16, 1937, Serial No. 180,248

. '6 Claims. (01. 62103) This invention relates to improvements in refrigerating apparatus and more especially to such apparatus of the portable type particularly adaptdefrosting apparatus especially adapted for.

catching drippage' from a fiat type evaporator whether said evaporator is in the form of a shelf or not. Our improved defrosting apparatus 20 can be used in connection with any horizontal,

fiat or plate type evaporator and even in connection with a construction where the ceiling of the storage or food compartment is itself chilled in order to form the evaporator or cooling unit 25 for the refrigerator. In all evaporators or cooling units of this type which are relatively fiat and large in area, dliiiculty has been encountered in catching the drippage therefrom especially during defrosting operations. Our invention con- 30 templates primarily a drip bailie of relatively large area below such an evaporator or coolin unit and above the top-most food shelf. This bafiie is provided with means for directing the drippage falling thereon to a certain point from 35 which it is discharged through a suitable openor spout below which is placed a relatively tall, deep drip receptacle which preferably may be supported on the top-most food shelf. The receptacle, being tallv and deep, does not take up 40 much room on the shelf.

Another feature of our invention is means for providing a certain a fii um of air circulation through the drip baffle to prevent or lessen undue frosting sweating and drippage from the 45 battle itself. We have found, however, that even with such construction it may be necessary to place the battle a more or less objectionable distance below the evaporator in order to prevent objectionable sweating and dripping. To fur- 50 the'r overcome this disadvantage, therefore, it is another feature of our invention to provide a plurality, for example, two drip bafiies. Accordl orator and tends itself to frost and drip. The

drippage from it, however, is caught by the second bafiie which needs to be only an inch or so beneath it. There is thus provided an apparatus which operates entirely satisfactorily asdefrosting apparatus and at the same time requires a minimum amount of space beneath theevaporator.

Other features and advantages will appear more fully as we proceed with our specification.

In thatform of device embodying the features of our invention shown in the accompanying drawings-- Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a refrigerator; Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the evaporator and drip bames taken as indicated by the line 2 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 v is a view taken as indicated by the line 3 of Fig.

2; Fig. 4 is a top plan view of one of the drip baflles; and Fig. 5 is a view taken as indicated by the line 5 of Fig. i.

As shown in the drawings, l0 indicates the usual food compartment of a refrigerator which may be of any conventional type adapted for mechanical cooling. H, H indicate the usual 2g shelves in the compartment for supporting food.

In the refrigerating apparatus here shown, we have disclosed an evaporator of the fiat or sheet type and have here shown the same embodied in an evaporator of such type serving also as a shelf, for example, similar to the evaporator shown in Figs. 10, 11, 12 and 13 of Touborg and Rosebrook Patent 2,009,910 issued July 30, 1935. Since the details of the construction andoperation of such an evaporator are fully disclosed in that patent, it is unnecessary that they be repeated here.

The evaporator in general in the form of .a flat shelf we have indicated by the reference numeral l2, and the cooling boilers thereunder by the reference numeral Hi. We shall use the number [2 to indicate the evaporator in general, itbeing understood that in the practice of this invention we may employ any evaporator of the flat type'lying substantially in a horizontal plane. Such an evaporator may be in the form of a shelf as shown or it could be in the form of a flat plate nearer the ceiling or roof of the food compartment, or the flat cell ing or top of the food compartment'itself could constitute a part of the evaporatoror cooling Under the evaporator t2 are placed upper and lower drip baffles 15 and l5a respectively, each being substantially the same size and shape as the plate l2 but preferably slightly larger so that any drip from the plate l2 or the boilers l3 will be caught by the upper battle. The two bafiies are provided with central openings l6 and lid respectively, surrounded by upwardly turned rims. l8 and Illa respectively, about high. The baflles l5 and I5a are preferably dished downwardly somewhat toward the central openings as shown; and the peripheries of the plates are also turned upwardly to form narrow upstanding fianges l9 and No. The baflies are supported from the walls of the cabinet on suitable pins or brackets l1, l1.

Above the openings l6, l6a the shelf l2 carries on its underside a baffle 20 like a gable roof in the form of an inverted V so that any water that may drip from the underside of the shelf l2 or the boilers 13 in the center will not fall through the openings l6, IBa in the baffles.

Any drippage that may occur from the baflie I 5 because of defrosting. or sweating, or otherwise, will be caught by the baffle I5a.

A pan-shaped baflletends to obstruct the recirculation of air between the evaporator surface and the food compartment to such an extent that the baffle itself tends to become cold enough to frost and sweat and cause a certain amount of drippage. We have overcome this objectionable tendency by two separate and distinct fea- The first is the provision of means in the 15 to permit some circulation of air tures. baflle through it, such means being here shown as a central opening [6. Thisprovides a drip baflle which does not so seriously interfere with the circulation of air between the evaporator and food compartment as would be the case ifthe baflle were absolutely imperforate. There may be one relatively large opening as shown or a plurality of smaller openings, so shaped and spaced to permit a regulated amount of air circulation through the baffles. Even with such means to permit circulation of air the baffle would have to be some distance below the evaporator if a single baflie were used. In order to permit placing the baffle somewhat closer to the evaporator we provide the second distinct and separate improvement of employing a second drip baflie l5a below the upper bafile l5. Consequently any drippage from the upper baffle l 5 is caught by the lower baflle I511. With this construction, the baffles may be close together and both relatively close to the evaporator so as not to interfere seriously with storage of food on the top shelf. For example, we have found that the upper baiile may be about two inches below the evaporator and the lower baflie about one inch below the upper baffle.

We shall now describe the means for catching the water from the melting frost and ice on the evaporator. Heretofore it has been customary to provide a tray under the evaporator to catch the water during the defrosting operation. The tray ordinarily has been large enough to catch water dripping from any part of the evaporator; and it has been customary to place the tray on the uppermost food shelf under the evaporator. This construction was fairly satisfactory in cases where the evaporator. surface was predominantly vertical so that the area of a horizontal projection of the evaporator was relatively small. In such cases the tray did not need to be very large in area and consequently did not occupy an undesirable amount of shelf space. There has been developed, however, a type of evaporator having a relatively large horizontal surface area that has recently come into more popular use. For example, as here shown, the evaporator includes a relatively large flat horizontal plate l2 here shown in the form of a flat shelf having an area substantially the same as the horizontal crosssectional area of the entire food compartment. With such a large flat evaporator, according to the old method of catching the melting frost, a large tray would be required. That is, the tray would have to have an area substantially equal to the entire area of the upper food shelf. It will be seen, therefore, that such a tray standing on the shelf would greatly restrict the food storage capacity of the refrigerator.

The horizontal flat type evaporator has distinct advantages over the older types. For example, as here shown it can serve as a shelf for the support of ice trays or food; thereby rendering possible a more efficient utilization of space within the refrigerator for the storage of food, and also providing a relatively larger freezing surface, greater convenience for the freezing or chilling of certain foods, and an improvement in the appearance of the interior of the refrigerator. As stated before, such a horizontal type evaporator may also serve as a ceiling of the food compartment or as a flat plate at or near the ceiling, thereby to render possible more efllcientutilization of space within the refrigerator for the storage of food and an improvement in the appearance of the interior of the refrigerator.

By the use of our invention, a horizontal flat type evaporator can be employed and the water from melting frost caught in a receptacle that occupies only a very small portion of the area of the upper shelf. This is accomplished by providing one or more relatively large flat baffles, as here shown, which are suitably dished and provided with rims so that these baflles will direct the water falling thereon to one point where the baille is provided with a suitable discharge opening or spout. As here shown, the bafiles are dished as described in the earlier part of the specification and the two baffles are provided at the corners with the sumps 2| and 2 la respectively, said sumps being provided with drainage openings 22 and 22a respectively.

The baffles are also provided with smaller or auxiliary sumps 23 and 23a respectively, separated from the main sumps by dams 24 and 24a respectively. We shall now describe the purpose of these auxiliary sumps. The baflle next to the evaporator frosts to a certain extent and tends -these few drops of drippage from the upper baffle 'on every off-cycle. The auxiliary sump, however,

is large enough to hold this small amount of 0H- cycle drippag'e until the next on-cycle at which time it evaporates and returns to frost on the evaporator, thus rendering it possible to move the drip receptacle, to be hereinafter described, and use the refrigerator without it until the defrosting of the entire evaporator.

25 indicates a drip receptacle preferably made of glass resting on the upper food shelf II and located just below the discharge opening 22a in the lower baffle. This receptacle is made relatively tall and deepwith a relatively small crosssectional area. Being removably located on the upper shelf it is easily accessible for cleaning and emptying purposes. Being relatively small in cross-sectional area, it occupies only a small portion of the shelf ll, thus making the major part of the shelf available for storage of food and other articles to be kept cool.

While we have shown and described certain embodiments of our invention, it'is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from a food compartment: a horizontal surface type a the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims, in which it is our intention to claim all novelty inherent in our invention as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination with a refrigerator having evaporator in the food compartment, said evaporator forming a shelf in the food compartment, the area of a horizontal projection of said evaporator being: substantially the same as the horizontal cross-sectional area of the food compartment; a food shelf below the evaporator; a drip baille above the food shelf and below the evaporator, said drip baflie having ardischarge opening; and a relatively tall deep drip receptacle with a relatively small cross-sectional area supported on said food shelf under said discharge p ning.

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the drip baiile is relatively close to the evaporator compared to its distance from the food shelf.

orator; and a drip baiiie below the evaporator, said drip bame having a main sump with a discharge opening therein and an auxiliary sump separated from the main sump by a dam.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 having a plurality of drip bailles (including the one specifled in claim 1) abovethe food shelf and below the evaporator, the lowermost drip bailleadapted to catch water dripping from the baille or baflles above it and provided with a discharge opening. 5. In combination with a refrigerator having a food compartment: a horizontal surface type evaporator in the food compartment, said evaporator forming a shelf in the food compartment, the area of a horizontal projection of said evaporator being substantially the same as the hori-'- z ntal cross-sectional area of the food compart me t; a food shelf below the evaporator; a drip baiile above the food shelf and below the evaporator, said drip baflie having a discharge opening; and a relatively tall deep drip receptacle with a relatively small cross-sectional area adapted to receive water discharged from the discharge opening in the drip baiile.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which.

the drip bailie has an opening to permit circulation of air therethrough.

CHARLES J. GIBSON. JENS TOUBORG.

3. Refrigerating apparatus, including: an evap- 

